Shinji: Year One
by Enterprise-A
Summary: When abandoned by Gendo, Shinji is taken in by an elderly woman. Ten years later, when he is called back to Tokyo-3, he unleashes an unholy terror on the cities crime cindicate. Fusion with Batman. CANCELED. READ PROFILE FOR MORE
1. Arrival

**Shinji: Year One**

**Chapter One: Arrival**

(Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion, which is owned by Gainax, or Batman, which is owned by DC.)

"_No! Father! Please, don't leave me!" screamed four-year-old Shinji Ikari as his father, Gendo Ikari, walked to his car. "Father!" Gendo got into the car, and his chauffeur started the engine. He then put the car into gear and drove away._

_For close to half an hour, Shinji stood on the platform crying. "Why are you crying, young one?" a voice said suddenly. Shinji turned his head and saw an elderly woman coming toward him._

"_My father doesn't want me anymore," Shinji was able to force as a fresh wave of tears leaked through his eyes._

"_Oh, come now. Don't cry, little one. I'll take you in," said the old woman._

"_Really?" asked a confused Shinji._

"_Yes. Would you like that?"_

"_Okay."_

_They walked down the street, when Shinji asked quietly, "What's your name?"_

"_Excuse me. I forgot my manners. I'm Cassandra Cain."_

"_I'm Shinji Ikari," Shinji replied softly._

**(-V-)**

**Ten Years Later**

"Damn it, where is she?" Shinji Ikari muttered to himself as he stood on a deserted sidewalk. Wearing a dark blue, plaid overcoat, a pair of blue jeans, and a white tee-shirt, he stood on a deserted street in the middle of Tokyo-3. Opening the letter he had received from his 'father' recently, Shinji gazed at the picture of a beautiful, lavender haired woman.

Suddenly, he caught the slightest movement in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he saw a girl in a schoolgirl's attire, with blue hair and red eyes. Suddenly, she vanished, and Shinji felt the ground underneath him shudder. Looking behind him, he saw a huge monster slowly pursuing a small force of U.N. fighters. The monster suddenly raised it's arm, and shot a fighter down with a huge beam of light. The fighter came crashing down in a spectacular wreck in front of Shinji. The monster jumped, and landed on the ship, causing the ground to vibrate even more. Knowing he would probably be killed if he didn't move, Shinji jumped backwards in a graceful backflip, and landed quickly on his feat.

Suddenly, a blue Renault sped in his direction and screeched to a halt beside him. The door flew open, and the woman from his picture, Captain Misato Katsuragi, yelled, "Get in!" Shinji quickly complied.

As soon as he had shut the door, Misato floored the gas and quickly turned the car around. They sped away from the hulking thing, which was now being bombarded with missals from some oncoming U.N. jets.

Stopping on a hill overlooking the town, Misato leaned over Shinji to get a better look at the battle. Suddenly, all of the ships flew out of the area. "What the . . . " Misato started to say when a huge U.N. gunship flew towards the monster. "Oh, God! They're gonna use an N2 mine! Get Down!" she yelled as she pushed Shinji down just before the monster was covered by a huge explosion. The car, which was thrown from the ground by the force of the explosion, landed on it's side about thirty meters away.

Once the car stood still, it's two occupants stuck their heads out of the open window. They jumped out of the car as the shockwave from the explosion died down, and Misato asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Shinji growled out as he popped his sore neck.

"Come on, help me push," Misato said. The two of them leaned against the blue sports car and pushed with all of their might. Soon, the car fell back on it's side.

"Thanks, Shinji. You're pretty useful."

"Your welcome, Major Katsuragi," Shinji said with a small nod of his head and a smile.

"Ah, Misato's fine. So, Shinji Ikari we finally meet."

"Mm-hmm," Shinji said as he nodded.

**(-V-)**

"Misato," Shinji inquired.

The woman in question was staring at the road, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

"Misato," Shinji said again.

"Hmm?"she said, turning to him and smiling.

"Did we have to steal the batteries? Isn't it illegal?"

"Eh. . ." she said as she turned to look at the multiple batteries they had taken. "Don't worry, I'm a government official, and we needed a running vehicle," she said nervously.

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "That's your excuse? I don't think anyone gonna believe that."

"You're no fun. You know, you're not as cute as I thought you would be," Misato said.

"You shouldn't be talking, Misato. I thought you would be more mature than this," Shinji said.

Misato's right eye started to twitch. The car suddenly started to swerve dangerously close to the wall of the tunnel they were entering. "Watch the damn road, Misato!" Shinji yelled.

**(-V-)**

"_The gates are closed. Please stand clear of. . ."_

As the giant steel doors behind them closed, Shinji looked and read with disgust, "Nerv. God is in heaven, and all is right with the world."

"Yup. It's a secret organization under the U.N.'s power."

"I would guess that _'Pops' _is in charge."

"Mmm-hmm."

The car had started to move, and was continually going up. "Oh! That reminds me. Do you have the I.D. card your father sent you?" Misato asked.

"This?" Shinji asked as he pulled out a small I.D.

"Yup, thanks. Here," she said, handing him a small booklet, "start reading this."

Shinji took the book and glanced inside. He quickly threw the book into the backseet. "Piece of shit," he muttered. "So I was right. He, 'has a use for me'," he said in disgust.

He looked out of the window, and saw hundreds of buildings coming down from the ceiling. "My god," Shinji said, feigning ignorance as he stared at the beautifully lit GeoFront.

"That's right. This is our underground base. The key to rebuilding our world," Misato said with a smile.

**(-V-)**

'She's lost,' he thought to himself as they passed the same spot for the third time.

"Isn't this the right way?" Misato said, mostly to herself.

"Give me the map," Shinji said suddenly. When Misato gave the map to him, he took a glance at it. In reality, he didn't need it, as he had memorized a layout of the base the week before. "Where are we headed?"

"Elevator 55."

Shinji suddenly walked to the right, and down a few corridors, until he reached a large door with the number 55 above it. "Here we are."

Misato stared at Shinji, her surprise and shock evident in her eyes. She quickly shrugged it off as a coincidence. Pushing the up button on the door, Misato waited for the door to open. When the lift finally reached their level, the door opened to reveal a blond haired woman, who appeared to be more than a little annoyed.

"Uh, hiya Ritsuko," Misato said nervously.

"Well, _Captain_, it seems you're finally able to find the difference between left and right," she said with a small smirk on her face. Misato scowled at the remark. "So, is this the boy?" Ritsuko asked, getting back to the task at hand.

"Yes. According to the Marduk Report, he's the third child."

"Nice to meet you," Ritsuko said with a small, barely noticeable smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you to, Doctor," Shinji said with a small bow of his head.

"As you can see, he at least has more manners than his father," Misato said with a smile.

**(-V-)**

As the three of them rose on the open elevator, Shinji stared at the giant tank besides them, filled with bright magenta liquid. Behind him, Misato and Ritsuko were deep in conversation, when the P.A. system announced, "All personnel, assume battle stations, level one."

"Hear that?" Misato asked.

"This is bad," Ritsuko commented.

"So how's Unit-01 doing?" Misato asked.

"It's currently undergoing refrigeration using the B-type equipment," Ritsuko replied.

"Does it work? It hasn't before, has it?"

"The possibility of activation is 0.000000009. Around here, we just call it the 09 system," Ritsuko stated matter-of-factly.

"You mean it doesn't work?"

"Don't be insulting. It's-" Ritsuko started.

"Oni, as in a Japanese devil," Shinji said.

Ritsuko stared at him for a moment, before being pulled back into her conversation by Misato, who said, "Well, I guess it's too late to say, 'Sorry, it doesn't work,'."

**(-V-)**

Once the elevator reached the peak of it's ascension, it's three occupants hopped off. They soon got into a small motorboat. The boat streaked across the magenta liquid, and as they got closer to the far wall, Shinji thought he saw a giant, purple and green arm.

They got out of the boat and went into an open door. Once the three of them reached the center of the room, the doors shut behind them, leaving them in complete darkness. Shinji let out a quiet sigh of content.

Suddenly, the lights flashed on and Shinji found himself face-to-face with a giant purple mecha. "This is man's ultimate weapon, and last hope against the Angels. Evangelion."

Shinji stared at it before he looked just above it and growled with a scowl on his face, "So, _this_ is why you left me alone at that station, huh, _Father_?"

Misato and Ritsuko followed Shinji's gaze up, and saw the face of Gendo Ikari, staring coldly at his son. "Correct," Gendo said. He glared at his son for a few moments before adding, "We're moving out."

"Moving out? Rei doesn't have anything to pilot! And even if she did, she's not in any condition to pilot that thing, is she?" Misato asked. Suddenly, realization hit her. "Wait a minute! You're gonna use Unit-01?!" She yelled, and, after quickly glancing at Shinji, continued, "We don't have a pilot!"

"We just recieved one," Ritsuko said emotionlessly.

". . . You're serious, aren't you," Misato said sadly, a pained expression on her face.

Turning to Shinji, Ritsuko said in the same flat tone, "Shinji Ikari, you will pilot it."

The boy in question turned his head to glare intensely at the blond scientist, causing her to involuntarily step back. "No," he growled out in a dangerous tone, "I will not pilot this contraption for you, Gendo."

"Shinji," Misato said desperately, "don't you care about this city?"

"Why should I?" Shinji asked icily. "This city contains one of my worst childhood memories." Glaring up at Gendo, he added, "And if that monster takes out the bastard up there, kudos to it."

"If you will not pilot the Eva, then leave!" Gendo said angrily.

Shinji turned on his heels and stalked towards the exit. Suddenly, he heard a door behind him open, and looked to see a group of medics pushing a small, rolling bed towards the center of the platform. On the bed was an injured girl, who was covered in bandages. "What are you doing?" Shinji snarled.

"She will be the one who will pilot if you do not," Gendo said coldly.

Suddenly the ground trembled violently. Almost everyone fell to the ground, other than those who had found something to hold onto. All of a sudden, a terrible tearing sound was heard from above as a large amount of florescent lights fell towards the platform. Shinji looked up, to see a group of them falling straight for the girl.

He suddenly launched himself towards her, moving at a blinding speed, and pushed her out of the way of the falling debris.

Then, the huge metal arm of Unit-01 broke free of it's restraints, and knocked the debris off it's trajectory towards Shinji.

"My, God!"

"The Eva moved!"

"How?!"

"It wrenched the restraints off of it's right arm!"

"That's impossible!" Ritsuko shouted. "The entry plug hasn't even been inserted yet!"

Misato stood up from the floor and gazed at the giant, purple monster. "It reacted without any interface . . . ?" Suddenly, she realized something. "Or was it protecting something?" She asked herself. "Was it protecting him?"

Shinji meanwhile, had hurried over to the girl, who was whimpering in pain, and cringing as she moved. Pulling out a small pressure injector, filled with a sedative and a pain reliever, from one of his coat pockets, he injected the girl, who slowly fell into a deep sleep.

Looking up at the command deck, glaring hatefully at the man who called himself his father, Shinji yelled, "Alright! I'll pilot it! Just don't let anyone else get injured!"

**(-V-)**

Shinji sat inside the cramped plug, his gaze directed aimlessly in front of him. Over the radio, he could here the workers transmitting commands and messages as they prepped the eva for battle.

Suddenly, the plug began to fill with a yellow liquid. Feigning ignorance, he screamed, "What the hell are you doing?!"

"Don't worry, when your lungs are filled with LCL, your blood will be oxygenated directly." Ritsuko said calmly.

Shinji relaxed slightly, and let himself be immersed in the liquid. It smelled of copper and blood. "Disgusting," he muttered to himself. All of a sudden, the plug around him morphed in a spectacular show of lights, until it opened up a huge window in front of him, allowing him to see.

Over the radio, Shinji could hear one of the lieutenants, Maya Ibuki, say, "Bidirectional circuits are open, synchronisation is at . . . Sempai! His Synch ratio is at 79.8!"

"What?! That's impossible!" Ritsuko exclaimed as she turned to look at the readings. "Incredible," she whispered.

Soon, the restraints were removed, and the Eva was moved to the launchpad. As soon as everything was in position, Misato turned to the Commander and asked, "Can we really do this?"

"Of course," he replied with conviction. "If we can't defeat the angel, we have no future."

"Hmm," Misato said, before she yelled, "Eva, launch!" 'Shinji,' she thought to herself, 'don't get killed out there.'

The Eva suddenly launched up the chute at an alarming rate. Shinji didn't make a sound, as the Gee-force pushed him down hard in his seat. Above him, a door opened, and the track on which he was following extended, allowing the Eva to rise up to ground level. In front of him stood the Angel, it's face like a skull, and it was waiting to attack.

"Are you ready, Shinji?" Misato asked over the comm.

"As ready as I'll ever be," He answered.

"Release final safety locks!" Misato yelled at the technicians. Back on the surface, the Eva lurched forward, and stood, hunched over and ready to move.

"Shinji," Ritsuko said, "just concentrate on walking right now."

Shinji responded by walking towards the Angel with a determined gait. Suddenly, the angel grabbed Shinji's arm and head, and pulled violently. The strain of the double-sided attack caused Shinji to moan in pain.

"Shinji, it's not your real arm! It's the Eva's!" Misato screamed through the comm.

"What's the difference?" Shinji strained out. "They both heart like hell!"

The angel suddenly picked up the Eva by it's head. It's elbow illuminated, and pulled back. It suddenly returned and began to bash the Eva's head case. The core suddenly illuminated, and the Eva was thrown back by a violent explosion. It landed with a sickening thud on one of the skyscrapers.

Over the radio, Shinji could hear the chatter of the technicians, as they tried to reactivate his Eva.

"The head case is damaged! Synch rate is dropping!"

"What are the reading on the pilot?!"

"We don't know! The monitors aren't responding! We can't tell if he's dead or alive!"

"Pull him back! He's just a kid!"

Shinji suddenly stiffened. He had heard those words before. Just after his guardian had been slain.

'_What about the kid?'_

'_What about him? That's all he is. A lousy kid.'_

"No," Shinji growled to himself as he pushed himself up, "I'm not a kid."

'_Than what are you?'_ a small voice in the back of his mind asked.

Suddenly, the eyes of the Eva relit as the purple behemoth reactivated. "Eva's reactivating itself!" Lt. Ibuki yelled as she stared at her monitor.

"It's impossible," yelled another of the technicians, "It shouldn't be able to move!"

"How . . . ?" Misato asked herself.

Ritsuko, who was staring at the screen with a strange mixture of terror and awe, whispered, "Berserker."

The Eva opened it's mouth and unleashed an unearthly roar that sent shudders down the spines of everyone in the command center. The Eva leaped from it's spot in front of one of the buildings, and landed on the Angel. It's left pylon opened and revealed a small knife, which the Eva pulled out and began slicing viciously at the Angel.

Inside the entry plug, Shinji growled out as he attacked the angel as viciously as possible, "I am vengeance."

The Angel fired it's light cannon again, but Shinji was ready. He leaped off the Angel just before it fired the deadly weapon. The Eva flipped in the air, and threw the knife like a shuriken. It hit dead in the center, and made a giant crack in the center. Shinji ran to melee the monster again, when he hit a huge, orange field of light.

"It's an A.T. field!" Ritsuko yelled.

"He won't be able to touch that Angel!" Misato said in horror.

Shinji, meanwhile, activated his own A.T. field, and started to erode the Angel's.

"Unit-01's expanding his own A.T. field! It's neutralizing the phase space!" Ibuki yelled.

"No, he's corroding it!" Ritsuko yelled in realization.

Shinji plunged his hands into the center of the of the orange hexagon, and tore it apart.

"It ripped through that A.T. field like it was nothing!" Misato yelled in shock.

The Eva ran up and grabbed the Angel's arm. "I am the night," Shinji said as he tore the arm off of the Angel. The Angel suddenly wrapped itself around the upper half of the Eva, as it's core started to glow.

"It's gonna self destruct!" Misato yelled in horror. Just as predicted, the Angel and the Eva disappeared in a huge explosion. "Is the Eva . . . ?" she whispered, the fear evident in her voice.

Suddenly, a huge, dark silhouette appeared in through the fire and smoke. The Eva came into view, once again walking in the same determined gait as before the battle.

"I am Batman!" Shinji yelled with conviction as the Eva let out another unearthly roar.

In the command center, Gendo smirked from behind his interlocked hands.

**(-V-)**

_(A/N: Well, here's the first chapter. I haven't decided a pairing yet, but I'm leaning towards Shinji/Maya. Love it? Hate it? I don't care. Just please leave comments! Also, you can give me some idea's for this, and other stories of mine. Another note, my first story, __**Frontier Wars Episode IV: A New Hope **__is up for adoption. Anyone who wants it just has to leave a review in it. Until the next chapter! Enterprise-A)_


	2. Ascension

**Chapter Two: Ascension**

(Disclaimer: See Chapter One)

Shinji maneuvered the giant mecha into the holding docks, and stood completely still as the docking clamps were put into place. He then saw the ground rising up as he started the long descent down.

Once the Eva had been placed back in it's restraints, the entry plug was removed and Shinji was finally able to leave the confining space. Misato and Ritsuko were outside to meet him.

"Good job, Shinji," Ritsuko said with a small smile. Shinji gave her a small nod, before looking to see if they had moved the injured girl.

"Will the girl be alright?" he asked.

"Yes, Rei will be fine. She just needs time to let her bones heal," Ritsuko replied. "By the way, what did you do to her?"

"I gave her a small dose of sedative and pain reliever."

"Hmm," She said with a small nod.

"Where's the commander's office?" Shinji asked suddenly.

"Why, is there something you wished to discuss with him?" Ritsuko asked, her surprise barely audible.

"Yes, that's it exactly."

"Well, it's up on the next floor, down the corridor, and to the left. Misato can show you the way." With that, Ritsuko turned on her heals and staked off towards the exit.

**(-V-)**

"Well, here we are," Misato said as they got to a large door. To the side was a small plaque, which read, 'Commander of NERV: Ikari, Gendo'. "I'll be waiting outside, then," Misato said as the door opened and the young man walked inside.

The interior of the office was immense, with windows on all sides. At the far side of the room, Commander Ikari sat at his desk, his hands interlocked, and his head was placed just behind them. Behind him stood a tall, elderly man. According to his uniform, he was 'Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki'.

"What is this intrusion about?" the elder Ikari asked, his annoyance masked well.

"I'm asking you if I would be allowed to have another job here at NERV," Shinji said curtly.

"What kind of job?" the Sub-Commander asked curiously.

"Applied Tech caught my eye."

"That is acceptable. You will be paid 85,384 yen a week. Report to Lt. Ibuki tomorrow after your synch test. Dismissed."

Shinji turned on his heals and headed out the door. In his head, he thought, _'Well, I guess the spandex will work for one last night.'_

Once he exited the office, Misato asked, "So, what did you ask your father?"

"I was asking for a job."

"Really?" Misato asked, a little shocked. "Where'd you get into?"

"Applied Tech. I'm making 85,384 yen a week."

"Hmm," Misato replied, a slight twitch in her eye. _'He certainly is making a lot quickly.'_

**(-V-)**

"He'll be living alone?" Misato asked a tall Sector Two agent. She, the agent, and Shinji were standing on the bottom floor of one of the many buildings built into the ceiling of the GeoFront. The floor was transparent, so they could see NERV's command center.

"That's right. His apartment will be on the 6th block from this one. Will this be alright?"

"Yes, sir," came Shinji's reply.

"Shinji . . . " Misato started.

"It's fine, Misato," Shinji interrupted, "I've lived alone for most of my life."

Misato replied by just staring intently at him.

**(-V-)**

"_What did you say?!"_

"You heard me," Misato said into the phone. "I'm taking Shinji home to live at my place, O.K.? It's already been approved. And don't worry," she added with a sly smile on her face, "I won't make any passes on him."

"_Of course you're not! How can you even think that?! You have no shame at all!" _yelled the person on the other line (who sounded suspiciously like Ritsuko).

Misato quickly slammed the phone back into it's dock. "Some people have no sense of humor," she muttered to herself.

**(-V-)**

Shinji sat in Misato's beat up Renault, staring aimlessly out the window of the car. He Misato were driving through the long, dark tunnels through which they had entered earlier.

"Well, I guess this means we're gonna have to have a party!" Misato said with a smile on her face.

Shinji raised his eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"It's a welcoming party, in honor of my new roommate, of course," Misato replied with a wide smile.

**(-V-)**

The two roommates headed into a small store, and immediately headed for the frozen food isle. Misato's hand started to go to the instant food, but Shinji grabbed her arm.

"No way, Misato. I'll grab some stuff and cook up a meal tonight," Shinji said.

"But-"

"No but's," Shinji cut her off. "Is there anything in particular you want?"

After a few seconds of thought, Misato replied, "How about Teriyaki Chicken and Fried Rice?"

"Alright." Shinji headed to the multiple isles, picking up the needed ingredients. Soon, he and Misato were standing in the checkout line.

As they stood waiting, two women passed them, deep in conversation. ". . .yeah! We never thought that the city would become a battlefield."

"Mmm hmm. My husband's been saying that at least the kids and I can leave."

"Don't I know it. This city may be a fortress, but that's no guarantee of safety."

As they passed, Shinji's mouth slowly curved into a frown. Misato turned and looked sadly at him.

**(-V-)**

Shinji was once again staring aimlessly, when Misato asked, "I hope you don't mind if we make a stop on the way."

"No, it's fine," Shinji replied without much conviction. "Where are we headed?"

"Oh, it's a really cool place," Misato said with a very wide smile. Soon, the two were standing on a small ledge that overlooked the city.

"It looks deserted," Shinji commented as he stared at the flat landscape. The only things that weren't part of the rolling landscape were the mountains in the distance.

Misato seemed to act like she didn't hear him. "Here we go," she said suddenly, staring at her watch.

Suddenly, a loud siren went off. As Shinji looked down at the terrain, multiple doors were opening. Soon, the skyscrapers began to rise. When they had finished, Shinji stared at them, admiring the beauty of the buildings against the orange sunset.

"This city is a fortress, designed to stand up against the Angels," Misato said as she stared out at the landscape. "This is Tokyo-3. This is our city. And this is the city that you saved."

**(-V-)**

"Your things have probably been delivered. I just moved here myself," Misato admitted as reached an apartment, the door of which had the name, _M. Katsuragi_.

They walked inside, and Shinji almost fell over from the smell. The apartment was filled with dozens of beer cans, trash bags, and other junk.

"He-he, sorry, it's a little messy," Misato said sheepishly.

'_If this is a little messy, I'd hate to see what she considers extremely messy,' _Shinji thought to himself as he forced himself through the junk.

"Could you put the food in the refrigerator?" Misato yelled from her room.

"Alright," Shinji answered. He pushed his way to the fridge, and opened the first compartment, only to find it full of beer. Opening the second compartment, he found enough room for the stuff he needed to store.

After shutting the fridge, he turned to find a second fridge. "Hey, Misato? What's in the other fridge?" he asked out of curiosity.

"Oh, don't worry about that, he's probably still sleeping," was her reply.

Shinji raised an eyebrow in confusion. He decided to forget about it, and pulled out some pots and pans and began to cook.

A while later, Shinji announced, "Dinner's ready!"

Misato walked out of her room, and stared at the table. "How . . . ?"

"Never mind that, let's just eat!" Shinji said happily, before digging into his meal. Misato stared at hers a second, before taking a bite.

"Mmm! This is delicious!" she said with delight before ravaging at hers again. When they were done, they put their plates on the counter.

"Hey, Shinji!" Misato said suddenly. "Let's divide the chores up."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Why, with a game of 'Rock Paper Scissors', of course!" Misato said.

**(-V-)**

**One Hour Later**

"Dammit, why 'Rock Paper Scissors'?" Shinji muttered to himself as he looked at the calendar's markings. About 7/10 of the squares were marked with his name, and the other 3/10 with Misato's name.

"That was a really fair way to split up the chores, wasn't it?" Misato asked happily. Shinji just rolled his eyes. "Remember, this is your house two. Feel free to take advantage of everything here," Misato said. With a sly smile on her face, she added, "Everything except me, of course."

Catching onto what she was playing at, Shinji smirked and said, "You sure about that?" Misato's eye began to twitch.

"Why don't you go and take a bath?" Misato asked in a strained voice, a vein in her temple pulsing.

"Alright," Shinji said as he headed towards his new bedroom. Once inside, he undressed, and headed for the bathroom. Opening the door, Shinji found himself face-to-face with a peculiar looking penguin. After staring at it for a couple moments, Shinji moved to the side and said, "After you," motioning for the penguin to leave.

After the penguin had rounded the corner, Shinji walked into the bathroom, and filled the tub with warm water. He soon settled himself in the relaxing waters, laid his head on the back of the tub, and closed his eyes.

'_I might as well get the most relaxation I can before tonight,' _Shinji thought to himself.

**(-V-)**

Misato walked into her new charge's room, anxious to tell him a few words of encouragement and congratulation. Looking around the room, she wasn't able to see any sign of the young boy. "Shinji-ack!" Misato yelled, as she turned around to find Shinji standing behind her.

"Yes?" Shinji asked innocently.

"Don't do that! God!" Misato said, still breathing hard.

"Sorry about that," Shinji said sheepishly.

"Well, I just wanted to say goodnight. You did a noble thing today," Misato said with a smile on her face.

"Was anyone hurt?" Shinji asked suddenly.

"Well, there are a few people still missing, and a few with serious injuries, but it's not nearly as bad as it could have been," Misato said, ever the optimist.

Shinji's face only darkened.

Misato sighed. "Shinji, you helped insure that a whole lot of people were kept safe. You saved the city! You should be proud of yourself. Now goodnight," she said before leaving the room.

'_Then why don't I feel it?'_ Shinji thought to himself before sitting down on the bed and pulling out his laptop. Opening a small connection, he proceeded to hack into the MAGI computer system that ran NERV. Setting up a continuous reel of footage to fool the cameras, Shinji shut the mini computer and opened his backpack. Inside was an onyx and black suit, black cape and cowl, tan combat utility belt, and a pair of black gloves and boots.

Shinji began to pull each article of clothing on. Soon, everything but the cowl had been placed on his body. Shinji stared at the cowl for a few seconds, before putting it on his head. Narrowing his eyes, Shinji thought to himself, _'Time to go to work,' _before walking to the window, and leaping out into the night.

**(-V-)**

Mari Suzahara sat in complete darkness, her breathing beginning to shallow. She had been trapped under the ruins of her former apartment for a few hours, and had long ago lost hope of rescue.

Staring aimlessly in front of her, she suddenly heard a shuffling of cloth behind her. Turning her head, she saw a huge, dark shadow moving behind her.

"Who are you?" Mari asked weakly, but her fright still showing through. The figure suddenly stopped in front of her and began to move the rubble that had been pinning her down.

"A friend. I've come to get you out of here," the stranger growled out before he pulled out a small can. He sprayed it on her leg picked her up, a steady stream of foam coming out of the small opening at the top. As soon as it made contact with her skin, it began to harden.

She felt him put his arms around her as he picked her up, and they soon began to make their out of the ruins. Soon, Mari could see a pale light from the end of the tunnel through which they were traveling.

Once they got outside, Mari got her first good look at her savior. He was a tall, well-built man, dressed in what seemed to be gray tights. His chest was covered by a huge, stylized bat. He wore black boots and gloves, and was surrounded by a flowing, black cape. Upon his face was a horned cowl, and his eyes were covered by a one-way white covering.

"Don't move," the stranger said suddenly, pulling a small pressure injector from the belt that was sitting around his waist, "I'm going to give you a small dose of sedative and pain reliever."

Placing the end on the side of her exposed arm, he pulled the trigger and the liquid inside the small capsule located in the back, was injected into her body. Before she lost consciousness, she muttered, "Thank you."

The man gave her a small smile, and said in a softer voice, "Be carful, Ms. Suzahara."

**(-V-)**

Lt. Maya Ibuki was heading home after a long day. After monitoring the Eva, setting up the repair crew's schedule, and repair the damage to the MAGI supercomputers from the angel's assault on NERV, she was ready to have some well deserved rest.

Walking down the alleyway of her apartment, she suddenly heard a shuffling of feet. She stopped and listened for signs of the sound, but after waiting a few minutes, she shrugged it off as a few animals.

Suddenly, she heard a voice say tauntingly, "Hey, Mommy . . . " Maya turned to see a man, standing in a dark doorway. "Come in where it's warm," he said as he began to advance on her. "I need you, Mommy. Make me feel safe." The man suddenly lunged and grabbed Maya's hand and began to drag her away.

"Oh, no. Please . . . " Maya whispered in fear as she was being dragged off. "Please, God, no-!"

"Talk soft . . . " the man began as he pulled out a switchblade, before saw the light around him fade. Looking up, he saw a huge shape coming towards him. "What the-?!" he yelled before he was tackled by the figure.

Maya stared at the huge shape on the ground, as she heard the man who had been threatening her whimper and scream, as his bones cracked. Soon, the movement slowed, and the figure stood up. The man was lying on the ground, severely injured, and his arms and legs tied together.

The figure turned to Maya, and said, "Are you alright, Lt. Ibuki?"

"How do you know who I am?" Maya asked apprehensively.

"I know a great many things," he said cryptically. He turned his back to her, and pulled out a grappling hook, and threw it up, where it caught on the side of the buildings fire escape. He turned back to her, and said quietly, "Be carful," before he began to run up the wall, using the rope as an anchor.

Maya stared at the place his cape disappeared, long after he had gone. She finally started to head back to her apartment. She sat in her room, when she suddenly realized that she hadn't thanked him.

**(-V-)**

Shinji finally got back to Misato's apartment a few hours later, and sat down on his bed. Pulling off the cowl, he put his hand in his hands, and took a few cleansing breaths.

He then began to pull off the suit, and stuffed it back into is backpack. Pulling on a T-shirt and shorts, he laid on his bed, and pulled out his SDAT player, and pushed play. Closing his eyes, he soon fell asleep to the calming sounds of John Williams.

**(-V-)**

_(A/N: Well, here's Chapter Two. I'm planning on taking a quick break on this story to update __**The Dark Knight**__. If anyone can give me any ideas for any of my stories, I'd appreciate it. And animefan29, I'll answer that in the next chapter. Enterprise-A)_


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